"One of the biggest changes in the current young adult culture is the disappearance of dating. Several studies have found that traditional dating, where the man asks the woman out on a date and pays for the evening together, is becoming rare. Only 50% of college women reported that they had been asked out on six or more dates, and a third said they had been asked on two or fewer dates (Glenn & Marquardt, 2001). Young women and men more often 'hang out' rather than go on planned dates. Young adults often report finding that even when they have been hanging out with someone over a period of time, they still do not know if they are a couple. Even though premarital sexual behavior has been shown to be a significant risk factor for future marital success (Heaton, 2002), single life in modern culture has become synonymous with sexual experimentation in non-committed relationships. One research team characterized today's dating and mating culture as "sex without strings, relationships without rings" (Whitehead & Popenoe, 2000)."
"According to the 2010 U.S. Census, nationwide the average marriage age is 26.1 for women and 28.2 for men, an increase of one year for women and two for men over the last ten years. Average marrying age has been rising for both men and women since the mid 1960s.
In the midst of this rise, Latter-day Saint church leaders have spoken about the need for single adults to return to traditional dating patterns and avoid simply “hanging out.” On May 1, 2005, Elder Dallin H. Oaks spoke at a Church Educational System fireside about the differences between these two social interactions. He defined hanging out as “numbers of young men and numbers of young women joining together in some group activity.” Elder Oaks encouraged all young single adults to decrease hanging out in favor of traditional dating.
Six years later, the prophets are still encouraging a return to the traditional dating pattern. In the most recent general conference, President Thomas S. Monson, Elder Richard G. Scott and Elder Oaks all counseled young adults to make marriage a top priority."
http://www.ldsliving.com/story/64829-marriage-age-on-the-rise-lds-single-adults-still-hanging-out
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